We have several opportunities for parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends of Bear Creek to volunteer to teach a JanTerm class in January 2025.
What is JanTerm?
JanTerm is like a collegiate mini semester. Students will choose four topical, 8-day seminars that offer a greater opportunity to explore new course topics which may not fit into the traditional academic year but are perfect for shorter, more intensive study. Courses are taught by current grades 7 – 12 faculty, and there are also a few opportunities for others to teach a class.
When does JanTerm take place?
JanTerm 2025 runs for eight days, from January 6 – 16, sandwiched between Christmas vacation and the start of spring semester.
What does the daily schedule look like?
On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, students attend four 80-minute blocks as follows:
Block 1: 8:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Block 2: 9:35 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.
Block 3: 11:10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch: 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Activity Period: 1:00 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
Block 4: 1:25 p.m. – 2.45 p.m.
On Wednesday, students attend four 70-minute blocks as follows:
Block 1: 9:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Block 2: 10:25 a.m. – 11:35 a.m.
Block 3: 11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch: 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Block 4: 1:35 p.m. – 2.45 p.m.
Note: Volunteer teachers would teach just one class during one of the blocks (1, 2, 3 or 4)
What types of classes are we looking for?
JanTerm gives us a unique opportunity to offer classes that we would not normally be able to offer in school. It’s this breadth of curriculum and the ability to dive deep into these specialist topics that makes JanTerm so special. In short, we want this to be a fun, eye-opening, and different experience for the students. For an example of the kinds of courses offered, please review the JanTerm At-a-Glance Catalog or the full JanTerm Course Catalog.
Are guest instructors restricted to teaching students in a particular division? Is there an age group where you have greatest need for volunteer teachers?
Guest instructors are not restricted to teaching a particular age group. For example, you may offer a Middle School-only class for grades 7 and 8, an Upper School-only class for grades 9 – 12, or a combined class for grades 7 – 10 or 7 – 12. That said, we would love to increase our class offerings for the younger students, so classes designed specifically for grades 7-8 are particularly welcome.
What are the next steps?
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer JanTerm teacher or coach, please complete the information in the JanTerm Volunteer Course Submission Form. Please respond by Monday, September 30, to allow sufficient time to build the JanTerm 2025 Course Catalog. Feel free to reach out directly to James Woollard (jwoollard@tbcs.org) with any questions.